COMPLAINTS about the state of Bolton’s worst roads are being ‘ignored’, an MP has claimed.

Chris Green accused Bolton Council of either repairing roads badly or disregarding residents’ concerns after the 10 most complained about roads in the borough were revealed.

Half of them are in Mr Green’s Bolton West constituency, which he says reflects concerns from areas such as Horwich and Blackrod that a disproportionate amount of money is spent in the centre of Bolton. However, town hall bosses say that such claims are ‘utter nonsense’.

The road with the most complaints about potholes and maintenance is Slackey Brow, in Kearsley, followed by Chorley New Road and Wigan Road.

Other Bolton West roads on the list are Moss Bank Way, Moss Lane, and Manchester Road, Westhoughton.

Pilkington Road, in Kearsley, Farnworth’s Plodder Lane, Blackburn Road, and Hulme Road, in Stoneclough, also feature in the top 10.

Mr Green said: “I’m sure Bolton West residents will not be surprised to hear that the roads in our corner of the borough receive some of the most complaints – time and time again, people tell me they feel that council tax always appears to be spent in the centre of Bolton and the towns and villages surrounding it are ignored.

“These figures suggest that Bolton West’s roads are either being badly repaired or that repeated calls for them to be repaired are being ignored.

“With us now being well into winter, it’s important that our roads are well prepared for the icy weather, so if anyone does have any complaints about any roads in our area, please do let me know — I’ll do my best to get them fixed.”

Bolton Council chiefs say only the condition of roads is taken into account when deciding which ones are repaired.

Cllr Nick Peel, Bolton Council’s executive cabinet member for environmental services, said: “I would expect more from a Member of Parliament, this is ridiculous.

“To state that there is some kind of bias going on is utter nonsense and he can’t bring forward a single piece of evidence to support that.

“It is all down to our engineers’ judgement. All roads are inspected and we have to prioritise those that are in the worst condition — it is irrelevant where they are situated.”

He added that a reduction in Government funding has meant that the council is forced to play ‘a constant game of catch-up’.

Cllr Peel said: “In 2010 when austerity started we were struggling to keep up with the maintenance of roads. Since then, our highways budget has been utterly decimated.

“The only way we are able to keep up with essential maintenance, and that includes full resurfacing too, is to use one-off capital amounts. Those aren’t guaranteed year on year.

“Each time the Government announces a special fund for highways nobody is cheering, because that is just replacing money that they have taken away in the past.

“It is a constant game of catch-up for us. You can’t just resurface a road and then it’s done.

“There is a limit before it needs doing again and some need doing more than others because they take more of a battering.”

A council spokesman added: “We know that residents want more investment in the road network and we are continuing to invest in improving our roads under difficult financial circumstances.

“Like other towns and cities across the country, our roads have deteriorated due to a reduction in Government grants.

“We also regularly inspect the road network and people can report potholes on the website, via e-mail: streetcare@bolton.gov.uk or by calling us on 01204 336600.”